Scraping Pegs

Track Day Preparations

2010-04-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

My progression as a rider seemed to plateau recently, so I started researching my next step in becoming a better motorcyclist. I believe one of the best ways to learn is a structured path set forth by a qualified instructor. True, learning from the 'School of Hard Knocks' is free, but you can also learn bad habits. I'd rather put myself in the hands of an expert. Notice I said expert... not professional. Too many people claim to be a professional, but don't possess the skills necessary to perform or teach. I'm looking for someone who can do a bit of both.

Unfortunately, I did not have Expert level cash available to offer. Given my budget, and the fact that Lee Parks wrote everyone should do a track day, I signed up for a track day with my local sportbike forum, Louisville-Sportbikes. We rented Putnam Park in Indiana, a track within a few hours from here; it is the home track for many of the forum members. One of the members, Michael Railing, talked me through the decision on the phone. Suddenly I found myself signed up for another weekend, an earlier one which Railing would also be attending. I now had a guide.

Next came leathers. Spartan Leathers are on of the best values on the market right now. Custom leathers for the price of off the rack stuff. I didn't even have the money for off the rack stuff... maybe "off the back of a truck" stuff. When I asked around for cheap used leathers, I had someone on my local forum contact me. He said he purchased some Spartan leathers, and only wore them twice because he gained some mass. I grabbed some $550 leathers for 250 bucks. ***CHA CHING!***

Finally, I had to prep the bike.

- Headlight is gone, taillights, and turn signals are taped up.
- The drain plug, fill plug, oil filter, and miscellaneous brackets have been RTV'd.
- Passenger peg removed, tool kit removed.
- Old School front number plate made. :)
- Water Wetter installed.
- Bar-end mirrors removed. I did not replace them with bar-end weights.
- Tires are 70%
- Brakes are 90%
- Chain cleaned and lubed.
- License Plate removed.
- Wheel weights were duct taped over.

I convinced a co-worker to head up with me, which resulted in a ride, and a trailer.

Here she sits. I'm heading up this Saturday. :)

I Suck at Blogging.

2010-04-19T12:23:00.001-07:00

Just a heads up. I suck at blogging. I haven't written anything in here in a long time. I think I'm going to start it up again. I've decided that this is going to be a weekly blog- one where I hope to provide an entertaining and informative insight on my progression as a motorcyclist.

Coming up:

My first Track day.

Gear Upgrade

2009-07-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

One of the most overlooked pieces of motorcycle gear is the back protector.

There are many out there, they all look cool, but some ARE better than others. I have recently acquired what I consider to be the best back protector on the market. After all sorts of research* I KNEW I was going to get a Forcefield back protector.

Construction:
The back protector is made of a foam pad covered by hard rubber triangles. Rumor has it that the immense strength of the triangles was discovered during the making of the Epcot Center Dome. See the resemblance?

This back protector is very heavy compared to most back protectors. On the other hand, it is does not limit mobility as much as it's competitors, and molds well to your body when it gets warm. Speaking of warm, this back protector seems to hold in less heat than the Icon Field Armor. This works wonders for longer rides.

Twins Separated at Birth?

Forcefield actually makes the Joe Rocket Speedmaster. Why Joe Rocket does not scream this from the rooftops, I don't know. Especially since the MSRP is about $25 less for the Joe Rocket labeled piece. So if you are pinching pennies, there is an immediate bit of cash to be saved by purchasing the JR piece. Personally, I think the Forcefield piece looks more exclusive.

Availability:
The Forcefield pieces are available at SuperBikeStore.net His prices are the same as the only other dealer, the Johnson Leather Company in San Francisco. The Joe Rocket version is available pretty much everywhere, including the online store I spend most of my money.

I'm glad I stepped up from my old Icon...

*Extra Research Material:
WebBikeWorld Review:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/back-protector/tpro-bohn/

RiDE Original Test 2006:
http://www.proaccessories.com.au/documents/forcefield/Ride_back_protecto_reviewr.pdf

Motorcyclist 2007 Article:
http://www.proaccessories.com.au/documents/forcefield/Motorcyclist_back_protector_2007.pdf

RiDE 2008 Article:
http://www.proaccessories.com.au/documents/forcefield/Ride_June_2008_Best_Buy_Back_Protector.pdf

Crash Tested:
http://www.livestrong.com/health-article/tpro-forcefield-body-armor-reviews_53cf12be-c83a-5145-ff93-dcd9c95f822b/

Two up

2009-07-23T10:10:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to ride two up for a while now. At first, I wasn't comfortable enough on the bike. I spent all my time getting more comfortable, and wanted to wait before I took a chance on putting Tristen in danger. It's one thing to put yourself at risk, another to risk the life of someone you love.

Now the issue is money. I won't let her ride with me without a jacket, gloves, helmet, and pants or chaps. Call me paranoid, but I call it prepared. Once I get some money aside, I'll buy her some gear. We'll start with the "lesser" brands, and if she loves it as much as I think she will, we'll get her some new gear.

And then we'll travel. :)

Finally did the Name Justice!l

2009-06-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

Scraping Pegs.

I lived up to the name. Now I need to re-evaluate my ability.

One great thing about riding a motorcycle is that it is an intellectual pursuit as much as a physical one. Many people just hop on and ride and think it is good enough. In reality, to advance your skills, you have to learn from available resources. You have to be aware of what you are doing wrong, what is "right", and what works for you. You can find this out from trial and error, but first you have to get pointed in the right direction.

Sometimes this comes in the form of a coach, sometimes it's a book. The best people got help somewhere along the way.

I picked up Lee Parks' Total Control a few months ago.
I LOVE IT.

I've been battling some mental roadblocks on looking through the turn, and decided one of his drills would take care of it. It's 40' circle with a cone in the middle. After sloppily circling the cone, my line slowly smoothed out, and I approached a zen-like state. Although my world was spinning, the cone suddenly slowed down as a forced myself to concentrate on it. It was as if it was the only thing in the parking lot, slowing rotating to my left, then *****SCRAAAAAAPEEEEE**** felt my shoes vibrate through the toe.

I immediately straightened the bike, and tried to figured out what the heck just happened. Upon closer inspection, I actually dragged my toe. Interesting...

My right turns were horrible. It felt sloppy, and took me a while to actually do a circle, instead of an oval, or any other number of organic shapes. Eventually, while leaned over to the right, I heard the sound again. I checked the bike again, and the peg feeler was ground slightly at the tip.

Now that I'm figuring out the maximum lean angles on the bike, as well as conquering some of my vision issues, it may be time to make some changes in body positioning. One step forward and three steps back.

I'm going to have to learn to hang off...

Cult of the Single Track

2009-04-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

Honda used to have a series of motorcycle advertisements that stated “You meet the nicest people on Honda.”

I call BS.

You see, Honda marketed their motorcycles in such a way to get away from the “bad guy” image that Harley riders had in the US. It was all a clever ploy, probably one created by somebody that didn't ride. Because any motorcyclist knows that "you meet the nicest people when you ride." Does the guy pictured here look nice? Nope, but don't judge a book by it's cover. True, he looks like a Japanese Al Capone, but that's actually a picture of Honda Soichiro as a young man. That would be the founder of Honda Motor Company, if you didn't know. He's a nice old guy now...

Since I started riding I've always had someone offer me a helping hand.

I’ve pulled over to the side of the road for a water break, and had motorcyclists stop to make sure I didn’t need anything. Not just sportbike riders, but Harley riders too. (they break down more, so I can see why they thought I was stranded. Just kidding... )

I’ve been invited to stay at people’s houses as a starting point for rides and track days. These are people that know me from a few posts on a forum and a phone conversation. Why? Riders of single track vehicles are passionate, and want to introduce more riders to the sport. Or Cult.

I’ll meet you right here, once you join our ranks. The Cult of the Single Track.

You meet the nicest people in our cult...

Just don't drink the Kool-Aid. ;)

On Scooters, Passengers, and Coffee

2009-03-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

A common saying among guys here in the US regarding scooters is

"Scooters are like fat chicks, they're a lot of fun to ride, but you don't want anyone to see you on them."

Why do we have this negative stigma regarding scooters in the US? Probably because we take these wide open spaces for granted. And our world-view is as small as the nearest state. You see, here in America, we don't have the rich history of Europe. Don't get me wrong... I'm as Patriotic as the next person, but who do you know with an apartment older that the Declaration of Independence?

Before you look up the date and start comparing it... no one.

If you lived in Italy, chances are, you know a lot of people. While our culture constantly tore down it's history for "improvements", Europe preserved it's history while still making technological advancements. That means cities still have TONS of old buildings. And old, narrow cobblestone streets. They are cool, but cars really have no place there. So scooters thrive.

My girlfriend wants a scooter. I think she would have a blast. She's getting excited about the concept of two wheels, even though she hasn't been on a ride with me yet. I wanted to make sure my skills are beyond adequate to ensure she isn't in any unnecessary danger. I think she'd look great on a scooter.

An vintage Italian scooter comes to mind...

It would be cool if there was a place in town where people could ride in, and just have great conversation over a cup of coffee. Call it a resurgence... of two wheels, of face to face conversation, and of good coffee.

Turn off your cell phone, ride in, and enjoy the time you spend with other people. I'll be there with a double Macchiato, ready to talk...

Held: German for Hero...

2009-02-17T12:43:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not referring to the sequel of Jet Li's epic adventure, although I'm sure it would go straight to DVD. I'm referring to the German company dedicated to quality motorcycle equipment. This family has been making gloves since 1946. They started the Held brand in 1975, selling only motorcycle gloves. These guys know how to make some gloves.

I picked up a set of their Ninja model. They are sweet. They are priced just under $100, so are relatively affordable. I don't want to rewrite such a good review, so check out what they had to say at WebBikeWorld.

Anyway, Held literally translates to Hero. So I'm a Hero now. I can be YOUR Hero if you want me to be.

Now if only I can figure out how to attach this sword to my bike...

The Fever

2009-02-02T06:24:00.003-08:00

I have it bad. I can't stop thinking of riding. It consumes my thoughts, like little boys, the thoughts of Catholic Priests.

I've subscribed to Motorcyclist, replaced my taillights with LEDs, taken every panel off of the bike, and painted everything. I've been playing Tourist Trophy on PS2 like it's going out of style. And yet, all these motorcycle related activities do not replace the act of actually riding.

Every nice day I get this itch to go out and ride. And by nice day, I mean if it is slightly warm. And by warm, I mean over 40 degrees. It's miserable being stuck in the house.

Of course, this is the worst time to ride. Our skill levels have tapered off over the winter, salt is still on the roads, and cagers have forgotten we exist.

Oh, and expect another post regarding the paint job. It sucks.

Bad.

Like a Phoenix

2008-09-19T07:42:00.001-07:00

So I got hurt a couple of weeks ago while, get this... rolling the bike out of the shop! With the engine off! I hopped on, rolled down the ramp, leaned right, and my buddy yells "Hey Carlos!" That caused me to turn my head further to the right, and put pressure on the bars while going 1 mph and still leaned over.

***DROP!***

That makes three... No... four drops.

Stupid foot peg went straight into the back of my calf, bruising my whole calf, and giving me a charlie-horse for over a week. I used to make fun of NFL players that couldn't play a game because of a bruised calf; I'd call them a bunch of over paid wussies. I now retract that statement... that sh!t hurts!

But I've rose from the ashes, and I'm now riding into work every day. It helps that the bike is stored at my house now, instead of the shop. Pics coming soon.

MSF Course

2008-08-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'm late typing this one up... I've been too busy riding. :)

If you just bought a bike, and you want to start riding it, do yourself a favor:

Take the MSF course first.

True, everyone there probably had their loved ones rubbing their butt in baby oil afterwards, but it was the most rewarding thing I've done in a long time.

If you follow this blog at all, you can see I've been riding in parking lots until I felt comfortable. I did eventually feel pretty good on the bike, and started to think I had some basic skills down. I was wrong. I may have been okay on my bike, but I quickly in the course saw that the basic skills I thought I'd learned were not easily transferred to another bike. I went with my buddy Bil, who was a natural on the damn thing. Oh well, he doesn't have one- I have time to hone my skills.

The course consists of a classroom day that was about four hours, and two days of riding at six hours a pop. Not bad for $150 bucks. And that's just the basic format of the course- If you go to Balance Dynamics in Georgetown, KY, you get two of the greatest instructors I've ever encountered. Dinah and Bill are fantastic teachers, riders, and people. Their personalities seem very different with the exception of their love of riding. I'm surprised they didn't have bugs in their teeth, because they were smiling on every exercise. Their different approaches give the course a good cop, bad cop feel. Go through Dinah's line, and you are offered great encouragement; go through Bill's line, and you know everything you did wrong. As the son of a Sgt Major, I chose Bill's line most of the time. :)

All in all, the class was great, and I left with valuable knowledge that I could use to improve my riding. I'll be there for the next one, so I can try it on my own bike.

Ninja's are cooler than Pirates

2008-08-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Why?

Let's take the movie Kill Bill as an example. Uma Thurman is a certified badass, crazy chick that always carries a sword. She sneaks around when necessary, and gets down when she has to. Sounds like a Ninja, right? She even rides around, on a Kawasaki... get this...NINJA. She's cool, and always wears her helmet while riding. It's important, because you could get a bug in your eye.

No one wants something in their eye, let alone a bug...

A bad enough sting and you could end up looking like Darryl Hannah's character. True, she is incredibly hot, but she still only has one eye. I bet people call her a pirate behind her back.

So, wear your helmet while riding, because Ninjas are way cooler than Pirates.

Back to Basics...

2008-07-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Life has it's stresses. They come in the form of incompetent co-workers, city traffic, allergies, screaming children, lacking finances, or a cheating partners. Without a doubt, no matter what we do, life has a way of throwing more and more things in our path. And we often compensate for the added tasks by multi-tasking; we whine about our co-workers to our cheating spouse, while driving to pick up the screaming kids in crazy traffic, with blurred vision from not being able to afford allergy medicine.

As a result, driving has no longer become a task in and of itself. It has become a necessary evil, one which we never respect anymore. When cars were new to the world, they had to be respected; driving automobiles was a completely new task, one which was uncomfortable and dangerous. Now, everyone is comfortable with the task of driving, so they don't mind multitasking in their living rooms on wheels. That coupled with the fact that automobiles have so many safety features, means that people don't care if they wreck.

Cars have gotten faster and quicker, they constantly handle better and stop shorter than their predecessors. But with these advances came automatic transmissions, cup holders, CD/DVD/mp3 players, TVs, and a number of things that make driving less of a task. As E. F. Schumacher said,
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction."

I guess that's what I've recently rediscovered in motorcycles. There is a direct connection between the motor and the rider; the bike responds to your every input instantly. Everything has been pared down to it's most basic nature. No music is necessary, I'd rather listen to my bike. It is a great experience when you start to become one with the bike, completely ignore the destination, and just take the journey.

Photoshop Skillz

2008-07-25T13:12:00.001-07:00

I did some photoshopping for Steve. His mount is a 2006 Suzuki GSX-R600.

Motorcycle Addiction

2008-07-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

Wow. This sport is addicting. After Steve and I decided we were going to get out bikes and ride back to work, we recruited two more people. Asking a motorcyclist to ride into work is like asking a crack fiend to smoke rocks- it doesn't take much to get them to do it. :)

Now the motorcycle parking lot went from a lonely cruiser meet to Frankfort's own sport bike fest.

What the Hell was I thinking?

2008-07-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

I rode to work today.

I had lunch at my favorite little Puerto Rican restaurant, and imagined the how much better the day would be if I rode back in to work. I took the small access road and various other connecting roads to the shop I store my bike at. After the recon mission was complete, I knew the road was clear, and that traffic was not tooooooo bad. I had butterflies as I mounted the bike and rode it out of the shop.

The ride back was uneventful, although I did try to get a truck to drive around me at the first major intersection. I didn't stall it once. It felt great getting up to speed, but my throttle control is still choppy. This is amplified by the fact that the SV exhibits significant engine braking. (That is, when you let off the throttle, it slows down QUICKLY, as if I put on the brakes.) This upsets the balance of the bike, and is never advisable. I know this because Keith Code told me so. :)

The strange thing is, I felt an adrenaline dump after I got off the bike and walked into the building. You get such a rush on the bike that when the ride is over, your body doesn't know what to think. God I love riding.

Now I just need someone to ride it back. C.O.B. traffic sucks. :)

Sonic BOOM

2008-07-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

Street Fighter.

Cafe Racer.

Naked.

Call it what you want, but I've already replaced the front fairing on my SV650s with some driving lights, and made the whole thing look evil. I still need to finish my rear cowl cover and paint the bike, but I'm on the way to creating my dream bike...

Here are some quick pics of the changes...

More gear on the way.

2008-07-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

Poke all the fun you want, but more gear is on the way.

Icon Field Armor Vest, Icon Field Armor knee guards, and Alpinestars compression shorts to help protect my broken pelvis.

The total value of my gear just went up to a hair below $1k.

The Fork in the Road

2008-07-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

I've been out riding only a handful of times; I'm waiting until I take the MSF course I'm signed up for. Even then, it's only been in parking lots, with the exception of one time. Well... technically twice, but I crashed the bike within a block, and stood by Steve's bike while he rode mine back to his house. So I'm waiting for the course to go on roads again. As Steve so candidly put it, I'm taking a chance until I take the course. In the meanwhile, I've been pacing, both literally and figuratively.

One day, I went over to the shop where I store the bike to ride it, and I was caught in a downpour within five minutes of practicing.

Rains sucks on a bike.

Now that you know the circumstances of my situation, I'd like to tell you about the figurative fork in the road I've encountered since purchasing the bike. But first, I need to tell you a bit more about myself. I am at heart a tinkerer. I like to take take things apart, and I enjoy modifying things to my ideal. So what do you do when you don't feel comfortable on streets yet, but have to see a new bike sitting there?

You take it apart.

Then you plan the transformation from rough first bike, into your ideal street machine. Exposed wires hang from the front of my bike, the result of my recent headlightectomy. My bike is going from stock, to something... meaner. So am I a cycle customizer, or a motorcyclist? I'm not sure, but I know which path I went down first. Expect a two wheeled demon to hit the streets in the next couple of weeks.

Now I just have to learn how to ride the damn thing...

The Gear

2008-07-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

How much is your hide worth?

Right now, mine is worth $792.74. I know it sounds expensive, but a wise rider once told me that anything between you and the road is money well spent. Chicks dig scars, but they don't dig skin grafts...

I think I'm still going to have to invest in some hip protection, and maybe some leather overpants. Until then, this is my gear:

Fulmer SS Helmet

Icon Motorhead Jacket

Icon Pursuit Gloves

Icon Hooligan Denim

Alpinestars Octane Riding Shoes

I know, I know, it's alot of gear. You'll recognize me on the road though. I'll be the one dressed looking like George in "The Dinner Party".

The Bike

2008-07-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

I found a bike on SVrider.com that seemed to be everything I wanted. It has some damage, so I don't have to worry about dropping it (it's already happened twice). Here's the post from that site:

Lexington, KY, yellow 2004 sv650s, 25,000 miles and counting...

The bike has been down, front forks were replaced with 05 barely used forks and front rim was replaced with new from factory.

Front fairing is plastic welded together... quite a few cracks in the front fairing. A front fairing runs $240 from dealer. http://www.oneidasuzuki.com
The gas tank has a 3x2 inch dent in it, and paint inside that dent is scraped. I'd guess its probably $250 to fix... comparing to work a friend had done.

I have ridden the bike alot... took it across the country and back. I take good care of it mechanically so I dont get stranded. I replaced the sprockets, chain, air filter, all fluids last season. And, of course, the oil has been changed on schedule with Rotella, every 3k miles and before and after storing for winter.

The bike has a fairly new (bought end of last season) Leo Vince SBK exhaust (mean sounding, $300 new), Frame sliders, swingarm spools, really nice Corbin seat ($260 new).

Spares: stock seat, stock exhaust, 04 yellow front fender (almost new)

These pictures are up to date... I tried to show the front fairing and the dent in the tank on the left side.

The Itch

2008-07-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted a motorcycle. Maybe it was Top Gun, or some other form of brainwashing that planted the seed in my psyche as a young boy, but I longed for two wheels. Living at home while going to college prevented it from becoming a reality for a while, although I was always too scared to get a bike anyway. I had a bad car crash in 2003, which made me completely abandon the idea. I guess there's something about laying in a bed for three months with a shattered pelvis that makes you second guess such seemingly unnecessary desires.

The truth is, my body is more fragile than most people; I still have 14 screws and two plates holding my pelvis together. It's been five years, but after some friends at work bought motorcycles, I once again had the itch. This time I wasn't going to let anything hold me back, so I hunted for ride- one with two less wheels than I was accustomed to.